Reflections on a Day That Changed History: Jeff Flake’s Account of 9/11
September 11, 2001, began like any other day for Jeff Flake, then a freshman Republican in the House of Representatives. After dropping his wife, Cheryl, at the airport for her flight to Arizona, Flake proceeded to the Capitol for a hearing. Little did he know that this ordinary morning would soon unravel into a day marked by terror and tragedy.
During the hearing, Flake and his colleagues received unsettling news. Initially, the plane crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center was thought to be an accident. However, the reality of a coordinated attack became evident when a second plane struck the South Tower 17 minutes later. “I just remember leaving the hearing room and just seeing pandemonium in the Capitol,” Flake recalled.
As chaos ensued, Flake was instructed to evacuate the Capitol. Four planes were hijacked that day, two targeting the Twin Towers, another crashing into the Pentagon, and the fourth, intended for the Capitol or White House, was downed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers bravely intervened.
In the midst of the crisis, Flake’s concern turned to his wife’s safety. Her flight was grounded in Wichita, Kansas, as the Federal Aviation Administration took the unprecedented step of closing U.S. airspace, bringing over 4,000 planes to an immediate landing. It took Cheryl three days to reach Arizona safely.
Once Flake confirmed his wife’s safety, he convened with other lawmakers at a police station. Later that day, approximately 150 members of Congress from both parties gathered on the Capitol steps, demonstrating unity and determination. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) stated, “When America suffers, and when people perpetrate acts against this country, we as a Congress and a government stand united and we stand together to fight this evil threat.” Together, they sang “God Bless America.”
The 9/11 attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people and injured thousands, marking it as the deadliest terrorist act in history. In the aftermath, over 130 nations expressed solidarity with the U.S., including unexpected gestures from countries like Iran and Cuba.
Flake witnessed the global support, “Just to see representatives, heads of states who might be visiting or ambassadors from other countries, our allies, just standing with us, that was really a special time,” he shared.
In response to the attacks, Congress swiftly enacted measures to address the threat. Three days post-attacks, the House overwhelmingly supported the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, empowering President George W. Bush to target those responsible. The Senate unanimously backed this action. Flake supported these measures, stating, “To go in and get (Osama) bin Laden and to make sure that the Taliban wasn’t hosting al-Qaida, that was the right thing to do.”
Within six weeks, the USA PATRIOT Act was passed, expanding governmental surveillance capabilities. Flake, among many, voted in favor. Yet, as time passed, he grew critical of the prolonged U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, which lasted nearly 20 years, and the 2002 Iraq War resolution based on faulty intelligence.
Reflecting on the events 25 years later, Flake emphasized the unity witnessed both domestically and internationally. He highlighted the heroics at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 as testaments to human courage and resilience. “Remember how unified a country can be, and should be,” Flake urged, “Not just among Republicans and Democrats, here at home domestically, but to honor our allies.”
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